“That’s quite a lucky dolphin!” - John’s first words to Charley, referencing a picture of a dolphin kissing her on the cheek. He soon asked to take her out for cheesecake, a date which was immediately followed by 2 more in the next 2 days, and the rest, in a cheesy end to a cheesecake-y beginning, was history!
At Charley’s sister’s wedding, John listens intently as Scott (her dad) describes how Evan asked him for Ashley's hand in marriage. Unbeknownst to Charley, John had just had the same conversation with Scott that morning, in a clandestine meeting in the corner of the hotel bar, asking for Charley’s hand in marriage. This photo shows John working very hard to keep a straight face and not give anything away as Scott recounted many of the same themes he and John had discussed just that morning.
We said we wouldn't include a long cheesy story but then started writing this and couldn't stop! See pictures of the proposal in our Gallery.
John took Charley on what has become an annual trip to Fredericksburg (Texas wine country) where he had a big surprise planned. Utterly in the dark, Charley was actually nervous about the weekend because the previous year's trip was so special to her that she worried they wouldn't be able to replicate or top it. John was nervous too but for a very different reason. Hidden in his bluetooth speaker case, which for anyone but John would have been weird to be carrying around Fredericksburg, was an engagement ring. John took Charley to a brand new winery called Signor Vineyards, which immediately dispelled her earlier worries upon seeing. She was so mesmerized by the stunning winery that she remained completely unaware that it was 11am which is before they open, she'd been told of a fake dress code, and the only other person there besides the sommelier was a photographer "hiding" in a nearby (and comically small) bush. As a wide-eyed Charley raved about the details of the winery's design, they were guided to a picnic table decorated with flowers and a wine bottle that had a wood tag with "CJF ∞" engraved on it. (FYI, CJF stands for Charley John Fest, a phrase that has somehow stuck since our first ever trip together). Still completely oblivious, Charley was thrilled when she saw this, kissed John to thank him, and further raved about the winery's amazing attention to detail, thinking a custom wine tag is something they offer all their patrons upon booking a reservation. John handed Charley a glass and started into what she thought was just an incredibly sweet and romantic toast to kick-off the weekend. It wasn't until John was down on one knee that Charley started to realize what was going on. Her blur of disbelief and anticipation to scream yes, if this actually was happening, was interrupted by a flash which suddenly made Charley acutely aware that she was awkwardly straddling the picnic bench in order to face John and there had been a photographer blatantly "hiding" in a shrub that only went up to her knees this whole time. With the overjoyed realization that this was actually happening, she quickly repositioned and eagerly beamed at John, who pulled out a small wood box engraved with "CJF ∞" (by him, not the winery, Charley now realized). She saw sparkles through tears and he asked her to marry him!!
Fun fact: Charley got the cast taken off her left wrist just days before John proposed and put a ring on her left hand
Engagement Party in Dallas at Saint Anne
With “we want a fun, old Florida vibe and a place we can take over for the weekend” as the guiding principle for the wedding venue hunt, Charley's parents let them search high and low on their own before saying “we think we know just the place.” And boy did they!! Charley and John fell head over heels for the Gasparilla Inn and Boca Grande. “Special” is the one word they’d use to describe it and they can’t wait to start their life together there and to share it with all of you!
Fun fact: The wedding date is 1/23/21 .... 1,2,3,2,1! (Shout out to Sara Maus for noticing!)